


A Guardian's Duty

by psiten



Category: Tokyo Babylon
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Protectiveness, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 20:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5469542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psiten/pseuds/psiten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Every day, she told herself that Subaru-san would come to her directly if he sensed any danger from this fellow who'd chanced to make his acquaintance; but every day he didn't tell her about a harmless-seeming friend who occupied so much of his free time had it's own worries.</p>
</blockquote><p>Sometimes, it's not enough to watch and wait. Sometimes, nothing you can do is enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Guardian's Duty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lightofthewind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightofthewind/gifts).



     She fixed the image of the altar candle in her mind, chanting a sutra in whispers. The knife in her hands brushed a sandalwood disc upon which she'd painted the directions and the relevant circles of influence. Without confirmation of the Sakurazukamori's true name or birthdate, there was no way to tap into his fate directly, but the scraps of clothing and the personal effects her security personnel had brought from the scenes of his murders granted her some traction at least. They lay upon the altar and lent their memory to her spells. She could follow his path through the spiritual realms of Japan, and find him before he found her grandson. Every day, she came closer to finding his face, his house, his weaknesses.

     Although today was not the day she would bring him to heel. As Lady Sumeragi felt the energy she'd channeled crack the board under her knife, she knew she'd fallen short. His wards had sent her spells askew again. Well, she'd compare the way this one had broken to the others, and perhaps it would narrow her search further. She already knew for certain that the scent of his spirit was strongest in Tokyo. No surprise there. Tokyo attracted the people most in need of the Sakurazukamori's services, both as clients and as victims.

     It hadn't been her intention to give Subaru-san control of official matters simply to clear her schedule to the point where she could hunt the hunter. The power Subaru-san could wield, should he care to, made it imperative that she pass on her duties. She was old, and though she could still hold her own, her strength was fading. The volume of business the clan head undertook required more endurance than she had left; but she could keep this hunt among her daily activities, if it was her focus and she stayed in the safety of this house, and she would.

     "Steward," she called. She felt her head of household's presence arrive outside the door to her meditation room. Collecting the remnants of today's attempt into their wrappings, she met him at the entrance. "I assume you have the reports I asked for."

     "Yes, Sumeragi-sama. The surveillance reports on the veterinary clinic." He handed over the entrance logs and the photographs. "The gentleman took over the practice from another veterinarian three years ago. No suspicious activities that our security staff could identify, but of course you'll want to draw your own conclusions. All the data are present."

     "Excellent. This Sakurazuka has been around, then. He's not a drifter, so he'll have a paper trail. I'd like a full background check. Given his proximity to Subaru-san, we can't be too careful."

     "Yes, ma'am."

     He disappeared with her instructions, and that was that. The background check would take weeks to complete. Until the man was cleared, she'd keep Subaru-san's security detail on alert. He insisted he didn't need them, of course. He never permitted them to intrude on his life, and to that extent they had to do what he said. She made what she could of the fact that Subaru-san had, sensibly, never forbidden family security staff to remain in Tokyo. He dear grandson had seen so much in life, and yet was so naive as to think no one could mean him harm.

     Lady Sumeragi waited, and hoped, for a conversation with Subaru-san where he told her of his own free will about the man's existence so she could ask him directly about his nature. She'd come to respect the empathetic sense he had for people and their intentions. Every day, she told herself that Subaru-san would come to her directly if he sensed any danger from this fellow who'd chanced to make his acquaintance; but every day he didn't tell her about a harmless-seeming friend who occupied so much of his free time had it's own worries.

     What reason could there be for never mentioning a person to whom he gave every spare moment, except if he thought she'd disapprove? Or if the subject of friends had slipped Subaru-san's mind, Hokuto-san would never forget. If this drew out much longer, she'd have to find some innocent way to prompt Subaru-san to comment on his existence. If the Sakurazuka man ever insinuated himself into an official job for the clan, that would be easy to do.

     He was probably no one, she assured herself. A harmless veterinarian, who had already known Subaru-san for over a month without her grandson being put in more danger than a few ice cream sundaes could cause. And yet, she could never be too careful.


End file.
